The mailer, paid for by Vince Gray 2014, tells voters to "remember who stood up for us" when they cast their ballots in the April 1 Democratic primary. Gray appears to be snarling at Reid in the picture, likely snapped just a few moments before Reid scolded the mayor: "I'm on your side ... don't screw it up." Rather than shutting down in October, Gray and the D.C. Council opted to declare all the city's workers "essential" and spend the money in the District's contingency funds to keep municipal services running.

"For years, Congress used its authority to push around the District of Columbia," the campaign mailer reads. "Our city was a victim of yearly budget battles. Then Vince Gray became Mayor."

"When Congressional leaders tried to halt DC services during the federal government shutdown in 2013, Mayor Vince Gray stopped them — he kept the District open and kept thousands of workers on the job."